The Broken Ones
by skullgirllove
Summary: "This is a dream." Tony muttered. "Just some screwed up, alcohol-induced dream. When I open my eyes I'm going to be back in bed. It will not be 2:30 in the morning and the definitely WON'T be a psychotic super-villain in my guestroom."
1. Hungry For A Home

"This isn't good." Tony Stark thought to himself as he stared at the closed door to one of his many guestrooms. "Reeeeeaaaallly not good. This is the opposite of good." He shut his eyes with a groan.

"This is a dream." He muttered. "Just some fucked up, alcohol-induced dream. When I open my eyes I'm going to be back in bed. It will not be 2:30 in the morning and the definitely WON'T be a psychotic super-villain in my guestroom." He opened his eyes. The door was still closed and he was still standing in the hallway in a pair of boxers and an old band t-shirt.

"Fantastic." He mumbled. He double-checked that his iron bracelets were firmly attached to his wrists. He was fairly certain that Loki was restrained in some way but he wasn't taking any chances. The windows of his penthouse had just been repaired after a little episode involving Bruce and a broken toaster.

Tensing himself, the still drowsy billionaire pushed open the door. 5 seconds past and no angry god came charging at him so he assumed it was safe to enter.

"Look Rudolph, I don't know what sort of plan your dad has or why that plan involves me babysitting your crazy ass but if you so much as look at me funny I swear to Thor-."

The threat was left unfinished as Tony stared at the scene before him. The god of mischief had been dumped none too gently on the bed, his limbs splayed out awkwardly. There were no chains binding the god, other than a simple metal collar around his neck. Tony hardly had cause to worry though; Loki was in no shape to throw him anywhere. His eyes were closed and if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest he could have been a dead man.

The first thing the genius noticed about the unconscious villain was how thin he had gotten, dangerously so. His already prominent cheekbones looked as though they were ready to break through the skin. The clothes he wore hung off his lean body and Tony could see the outline of the god's collarbone and the unhealthily prominent swell of his ribs. It had been 4 months since New York and Loki looked as though he hadn't eaten the whole time.

The next thing that Tony noticed was the blood. It was everywhere. Loki's long hair was matted with it. It spilled out from a series of wounds around his mouth. It soaked through his clothes and stained the cream colored sheets a deep red.

Something about the god's left shoulder looked off. It looked as though someone had grabbed his arm and twisted it to a very unnatural position. Tony could see a deep purple bruise blooming from under the god's collar.

"Shit…" he breathed, fighting the urge to vomit. He staggered backwards resting a hand against the wall to steady himself. He hadn't been expecting this. He hadn't given much thought to what Loki's punishment would consist of. He'd always assumed the Asgardians would just stick him in a dungeon for a few thousand years. Nothing like this.

Tony jumped as a soft groan slipped from the god's mouth. Forcing himself to breath he walked closer to his unexpected guest.

"Hey Reindeer games?" he asked hesitantly, reaching a hand out but quickly drawing it back again. He got no response, not that he'd really been expecting one.

"Okay." Tony mumbled frantically, trying to figure out what to do. He was way to tired ad way to drunk to handle this right now. This was bad, really bad. He didn't know much about how Asgardians dealt with injuries but from what he could see Loki's condition looked pretty serious.

"Loki?" He asked again, louder this time. When the god still didn't answer Tony walked over to the edge of the bed. He carefully pressed two fingers to the juncture of the god's neck and jaw. To his relief he felt a pulse fluttering beneath the ski, faint but steady.

Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, Tony carefully unlaced the shirt that clung to his enemy's crimson chest. He was met with more carnage the more ski he uncovered. Bruises of every hue stained the ivory skin and deep cuts, some now faded to scars, traced the contours of the god's body. Whip lashings, angry red burns, every possible type of injury covered the tricksters skin, a grotesque mural of pain. The urge to be sick seized Tony but he forced himself to push it away when he noticed that Loki's breathing had slower.

"Fuck!" he hissed, grabbing a blanket from the end of the bed and pressing it to an especially deep wound on the god's side. "Listen up Lokes, it's bad enough that I have a bloody mess of a super villain in my bed but I am not about to have a dead one!" Grimacing, he pressed his hands to the trickster's chest and pushed hard. The sickly sound of ribs cracking filled the room.

"Come on." Tony silently begged. "Come on Lokes." Finally with what was obviously great effort, Loki took a ragged breath and opened his eyes.


	2. Straighten Out Your Broken Bones

"Oh thank god!" Tony exclaimed. "Thought I'd lost you for a second there Lokes. Its very rude to show up in someone's house and almost die on them you know. Don't know if you guys have it different up in funky god world. And I'm totally rambling." For his part Loki didn't seem to mind terribly. It looked as if he were channeling all his energy into trying to keep his eyes open. It seemed to be rapidly failing and Tony watched in horror as the large green orbs turned glassy and unfocused.

"Hey. Hey! Don't you pull this crap again damn it. Are you hurting a lot?" If the god could roll his eyes he would have.

_And now for my next brilliant question… _Tony thought to himself.

"Who I'm I kidding." He muttered. "Of course it hurts. I can get you something for that, some bandages too probably. I'll be back you just," he looked down at the bloody heap in front of him. "just stay there alright?" The lack of sarcastic comebacks was really starting to weird Tony out. Glancing once more at the god of mischief, he hurried from the room.

"HELLO. YOU HAVE REACHED THE COMMUNICATION DEVICE OF THOR, SON OF ODIN. I AM CURRENTLY UNAVALIBLE BUT IF IT PLEASES YOU LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR ME AT THE SMALL ELECTRONIC NOISE-." Tony groaned as the call went to voicemail. Why had he ever thought it was a good idea to get Thor a cell phone.

"Hey there big guy." He said, not even trying to hide his aggravation. "Just calling to let you know that some big hulking guards just dumped you baby brother in my tower at 2:00 in the morning might I add, and he looks like he's had the shit kicked out of him. Would you happen to know anything about that? You've got some serious explaining to do point break!" The genius paused, tearing off a piece of medical gauze with his teeth. He wrapped it around the bloody marks on Loki's wrists. By this time the god was out cold again, which Tony figured was probably for the better. He couldn't imagine the patching up process being very pleasant.

"Anyways call me back asap!" Tony snapped before hanging up. He glanced down at his unconscious guest. He'd managed to bandage most of the wounds on the god's torso and face, careful to avoid the puncture wounds near his mouth. He hesitated, glancing uncomfortably at the god's lower half, which he'd purposefully been avoiding. There wasn't really a way around it.

Grimacing, he gingerly reached out and began to unlace the bindings of the god's pants. 3 seconds later he felt himself being shoved backwards and he fell to the floor, more out of surprise than anything. Surprised, he glanced up at his attacker.

The previously unconscious god was now wide-awake and obviously terrified. Ignoring the pain the action must have caused, he scrambled to the end of the bed furthest from Tony, arms raised in front of his face defensively.

"Whoa there reindeer games!" Tony said, quickly rising to his feet. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

"What are you doing here?" Loki hissed, wincing as blood flowed from the wounds around his mouth.

"I live here!" Tony snapped. "The real question is what YOU'RE doing here. And chill out, you'll open those cuts up again." The pale man looked at the bandages wrapped around him injuries with confusion. Taking advantage of this distraction Tony attempted to move closer to the injured god. I didn't get more than two steps before Loki moved further away from him, his eyes wide with terror.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you alright?" The billionaire said in exacerbation. "Looks like someone beat me to the punch anyways." The trickster clearly didn't believe him.

"You were trying to undress me." He said warily, defense never faltering.

"Yeah, to patch you up! If you hadn't noticed you're bleeding all over my very expensive sheets." As if noticing his surroundings for the first time Loki, looked around the room, blinking in disbelief.

"Some guards left you here about an hour ago." Tony said, in reply to the unanswered question. "Big meaty guys, kind of like your brother, they looked like they didn't have a brain cell between them though. Something about 'Odin's bidding.' Anyways looks like your stuck here for – hey what are you doing?" While he had been talking the god had managed to drag himself into a standing position and began limping towards the door.

"Hang on what are you trying to do exactly?"

"Leave." He said simply, wincing in pain.

"And go where?" Tony asked. "You're kind of a wanted criminal here. Also you look like you're gonna keel over any minuet. You won't make it two blocks."

"I apologize for the inconvenience. I won't continue to bother you." Loki said crisply, managed to walk a few steps before promptly collapsing. Tony rolled his eyes, walked over and helped the god to his feet.

"Nice try there Lolo." He said, half dragging him back over to the bed. "You're not going anywhere tonight. Now you hang tight, I'm going to get you some clean sheets and a LOT of aspirin and then we are both going to bed. I'm too tired to deal with this right now." The god glared at him defiantly but the adrenaline rush had taken the fight out of him and he reluctantly let his eyes slide shut.


	3. The Shattered Heart

"What do you mean Odin sent him here as punishment? Don't I get any say in this? No Thor, I can hear you, stop shouting."

Loki listened to the conversation without much interest, gingerly asking of the bandages all over his body. He'd spent the last half-hour trying to figure out how the shower worked while the man of iron attempted to converse with his brother Thor over some midgaurdian device. He was surprised the big brute had managed to figure it out.

When the water was as hot as he could stand it, he stepped carefully into the shower, hissing as the water stung the lashes on his back. Clenching his teeth against the pain, he rested his forehead against the cool tile of the shower wall. He let the water drown out the argument taking place outside the door, and tried to ignore the hollow ache in the pit of his stomach. The hunger was something he could never get used to.

As months of grime and bloody washed away the god's mind wandered to what the near future had in store for him. He highly doubted it would be anything good. He knew it shouldn't surprise him anymore, not after all these years but some small part of him had secretly hoped that Odin would show him some small measure of mercy. He found out all too quickly that he would receive none.

Yet somehow this was worse, worse even than having his mouth sown shut, worse then the hunger, worse than any pain. Because even through that he had clung to the hope that after this torture was over he would have atoned for what he'd done, that he'd been forgiven. But he never expected that Odin would send him here, to the home of man who wanted nothing more than to see him dead. It was a death sentence, the final slap in the face. Odin didn't care if he lived or died. Loki had been a fool to think he ever did.

He was powerless; he knew it, Stark knew it, Odin certainly knew it. There was nothing stopping Stark from taking out his revenge on him in whatever way he saw fit. And Loki could do absolutely nothing to stop him.

Something inside of Loki finally snapped. As the water came crashing down around him, he bowed his head, his thin shoulders shaking with sobs. For the first time in a long, long time he wept.

Frustrated, Tony hung up the phone. Talking to Thor was like talking to a brick wall. A very loud brick wall that couldn't seem to figure out technology. As it turned out the thunder god was on a very important mission at the moment but he promised to come back in a few days and sort this whole mess out. The downside of that was that Tony was stuck with Loki until further notice. Just peachy.

While he was trying to figure out what to do, a very loud thump sounded from the guest bedroom, followed by a yelp of pain.

"Oh for god's sake…" Tony groaned, heading towards the door. To his surprise he didn't see Loki on the bed where he left him. The sound of running water alerted him to the trickster's present whereabouts.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." He said, rapping on the door. "Hey Lo? You alright in there?" When he didn't get an answer he opened the door. The god was sprawled on the floor of the bathtub, apparently trying to make himself as small as humanly possible. The water was still running, plastering his ink-black hair to his face. He pressed a hand to his head where he appeared to have slammed it against the wall. It was so pathetic that Tony couldn't even think of a sarcastic comment to throw at him.

"Geez Lokes," he muttered, moving to turn of the water." Why didn't you stay in bed? You still kind of look like you've been hit by a truck."

"I'm fine." Loki said tightly, shrinking in on himself. "I got light headed for a moment and slipped that's all.

"No shit you're light headed, you're skin and bones. I'm amazed you made it all the way here. Here, let me-." The god flinched as Tony extended his hand towards him, his thin arms raised to protect his head. Seeing this, the genius paused, an undecipherable expression on his face. He suddenly turned and walked out the door, leaving a confused and shivering god behind him. Moments later he returned, carrying some clothes, a towel, and some clean bandages. Being sure to leave a good amount of space between him and Loki he extended the towel to him.

"Here." He said simply. The trickster hesitated, looking up at him questioningly. "Go on, take it." Reluctantly Loki reached out and took the offered item, laying it across his lap.

"I'm gonna go get you something to eat." Tony continued, laying the clothes and bandages on the floor where the god could reach them. "When you're done in here you can try and get to the bed yourself or holler for me if you need any help. I'll be right around the corner alright?" Loki nodded slightly, not making eye contact. Assuming that was as much of a response as he was going to get, Tony left the room, aware of green eyes watching him as he did.


	4. The Scars You Have

20 minutes later the trickster and the billionaire sat facing each other across the kitchen counter. How the god had managed to walk all the way from the bedroom Tony would never know. Said god was now sitting stiffly on a kitchen stool, wearing one of Tony's old t-shirts and a pair of worn in jeans. Even though they were the smallest items Tony could find, they still hung of him like blankets. His still damp hair clung to the back of his neck, sending small streams of water down his back. He fidgeted nervously, still not making eye contact.

Trying not to startle him, Tony placed a plate of toast and a glass of milk in front of the god and leaned against the counter. Several seconds passed. Loki made no move to take the food although he was looking at it the way a snake looks at a mouse.

"It's just bread and milk." Tony said awkwardly. "I didn't want to give you anything to heavy to start with. I looked it up and it says that really undernourished people shouldn't eat a lot of food right away, not good for you. So see how you do with that for now okay?" Loki pressed his lips together slightly, glancing down at the floor.

"It's okay." Tony said, trying to sound gentle. "It's for you, go ahead and eat. I know you're hungry."

Gracing the genius with one more, skeptical look, Loki's pale hand shot out and snatched a piece of toast and stuffed it in his mouth before Tony could blink. Following that, he raised the glass to his lips and drained it in two large gulps.

"Woah hey, slow down there Rudolph." Tony said, taken aback by the sudden burst of movement. "You're gonna make yourself sick." Loki ignored him, devouring the second piece of toast just as quickly. Breathing heavily, he gripped the counter top tightly, apparently trying to regain some control.

"Better?" Tony asked after a beat. Loki nodded.

"Better." he said stiffly, meeting the geniuses eyes for the first time.

"Has he kept that down?"

"So far so good. I just gave him a cup of tea."

"That's fine just go easy. Still acting skittish?"

"Big time." Tony sighed. "He barely even looks at me. Look, I know PTSD when I see it. What do you think big guy?"

"It's possible." Bruce said. "Four months of getting the shit kicked out of him would qualify as traumatic."

"You sure you can't get up here?" Tony asked again. "I'm not a doctor or anything. Also I get the feeling my presence isn't exactly soothing."

"Sorry Tony." Bruce said apologetically. "We're still trying to work out this thing in Santa Fe. I'll see if I can make it up there by next week alright?"

"Fine." Tony said reluctantly. "Just do me a favor and don't mention this to Fury while you're down there."

"You think I'm stupid?" Bruce scoffed. "Look, just see if you can get the full extent of his injuries and send it to me. I'll tell you what to do."

"Sounds great. Try not to hulk out alright?"

"I'll try my best." Bruce deadpanned. "Talk to you later Tony."

"Bye." With a groan of frustration the genius closed the skype call and tried to think of what to do next. Calling Clint would not be a good idea, and he doubted Steve could do anything to help out, and honestly Natasha scared the shit out of him. So that was out.

"Jarvis, can you see what our guest is doing right now?"

"Certainly sir." A live video feed of Loki popped up of the geniuses computer. The god was sitting in the corner of Tony's couch, knees drawn up to his chest and a cup of steaming tea in his hands. He looks slightly better now that he'd eaten something but he still jumped at the slightest noise. It was unnerving. Tony was used to dealing with an arrogant, snarky, overly dramatic bastard, not this q shadow of the former Loki he saw now.

"Come on." Tony muttered, knowing the god couldn't hear him. "Roll your eyes at me, call me a foolish mortal. Hell, yell at me, try and hit me, something!" The god, obviously oblivious to Tony's soliloquy, placed his empty cup on the floor and curled in on himself even more, resting his head on his knees, his dark hair falling in front of his face like a curtain.

"Jarvis, look up symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. And diagnose the injuries that you can see." As websites popped up Tony cast another look at the man in front of him.

"Jesus Loki." he said softly "What the hell did they do to you?"


	5. Never Been Loved

**Author's Note: Wow two chapters in one day! Don't get used to it, I'm gonna need to get some serious work done over the weekend but I promise to have a new one up by Tuesday. Thank you so much for all the nice feedback! To be honest I don't really know where I want to take this story so if anyone has any ideas please let me know.**

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Loki looked up, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't realized he had doozed off on the couch, but judging by the setting sun he had been out for a while. Stark was standing a little ways from him, fiddling with a large black square on the wall opposite the couch.

"What?" he asked sleepily. His stomach growled with hungry, what had become a familiar feeling by now yet somehow hurt worse now. It was torture to have been allowed to eat something and then being hungry. He wondered if that had been Starks intention. It had happened to him in Asgard before; a stale crust of bread had been thrown at him and he would maybe get one bite before it was yanked away again by a laughing guard. After a while he had stopped reaching for it. It was better to go hungry then to get your hopes up and have them crushed just as quickly.

"A movie." Tony said, startling him out of his thoughts. "You know, it's like a moving picture. It tells a story." The god gazed back at him, green eyes uncomprehending.

"Here." he continued, tossing a case at him. "Beauty and the Beast. Nice and non-triggering." Loki curiously looked at the cover of the empty case, it featured a pretty brunette who reminded him a bit of Sif and a large, hairy creature with sharp teeth and claws. They were dancing.

While he was examining the picture, Tony popped the DVD in and turn on the television. The Disney logo music resonated through the room, making Loki jump in surprise, looking around him nervously.

"Sorry." Tony apologized, turning down the volume. "Capsicle was watching baseball in here earlier, always turns it up real loud. But he is an old man so…" Loki couldn't have been paying much attention to him, his eyes were fixed on the screen, his mouth hanging open. Tony smiled, seeing his guests reaction.

"Cool huh?" he asked. "Wait till you see Batman."

"Are they players?" Loki asked softly, pointing at the moving figures in the commercial.

"Kind of." Tony said, surprised that the god had spoken up. "They're drawings. See, they put a lot of pictures together and play them one after another so it looks like the people are moving. They have people record their voices so it sounds like they're talking. It's pretty awesome." Loki was inclined to agree.

The trickster watched in awe as images danced before his eyes, exclaiming when the characters started singing. Tony watched him with amusement, watching his eyes grow wide at various times. He leaned forward in his seat, completely absorbed in the story, gasping aloud when it seemed like the beast was going to die. He didn't feel the hunger anymore, he didn't even feel the deep gashes that littered his body. All that mattered was the light radiating from the box and the music filling the room. When the end credits rolled it was almost enough to bring a smile to his lips. Almost.

"So what did you think?" Tony asked, switching off the set. Panic immediately gripped Loki again.

"Where did it go?" he asked desperately, glancing at the now black screen with confusion.

"The movie? Oh no don't worry it's saved here in this disk, we can watch it again sometime if you want. I've got lots more though, whatever you want to see." The prospect of more of these stories filled Loki with warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. Even when he hadn't know about the true circumstances of his birth he'd been restless. After a few thousand years nothing seemed to surprise him anymore. He'd read all the books in Asgard's vast library and explored most corners of the world with Thor and his friends. That was part of the reason he had grown so fond of playing tricks, it was one of the few things that still held his interest. Thor would happily spar and drink for days on end but Loki needed something more, something exciting. But he'd never imagened he would discover something like this.

"I liked the beast." he said quietly. Tony smirked slightly.

"Yeah I got the feeling you would." The god grimaced, pursing his lips against pain.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, hesitated.

"I'm hungry." he said at last, as though he was admitting to a terrible crime.

"Of course you are!" Tony said, mentally kicking himself for not getting the god something to eat sooner. "Do you think you're up to eating some soup? Maybe a little more bread? But you have to promise to eat it slowly, you really are gonna make yourself sick if you keep inhaling food like that." Loki nodded, rubbing his arm absent mindedly.

"So what do you think?" Tony joked as he went about preparing some food. "Would you like to live in a big castle with a bunch of talking furniture?"

"No." Loki said , still staring at the television in awe. "It would be awfully lonely."


	6. Never Been Loved Enough

Loki woke to the feel of sunshine on his face, streaming in through the large window a few feet away. He was still on the couch although there was now a blanket placed over him. Puzzled he looked around him and found that he was alone. As his eyes scanned the room around him his gaze fell on the stainless-steel kitchen a few feet away. The big metal box, that he knew was filled with food, seemed to be taunting him. There was a half-finished loaf of bread on the counter and several cardboard boxes that he guessed were also filled with food. His stomach growled longingly.

He knew it was a bad idea. Stark would not take kindly to being stolen from. Back in Asgard Loki had tried to steal food a few times, using what little magic he had left to change shape. He'd been caught of course, he had been too weak to keep the enchantment up for very long. Each time he had been dragged back to his cell and beaten within an inch of his life. Yet after weeks without food he had no choice but to steal. But it was never worth it.

Another pang of hunger shot through him as he stared at the food just a few yards away. So tantalizingly close.

_Maybe he won't notice. _Loki thought. _There's so much food here. Surely he won't miss one peice of bread. _He was so hungry.

Cautiously, the god got to his feet, wincing at the still throbbing pain in his side. He hobbled into the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible. Once there he looked around nervously and, once he convinced himself no one was coming, he reached out and grabbed one of the cardboard boxes at random. It was open already, about three fourths of the way full with little brown circles. It wasn't the most appetizing thing Loki had ever seen but he wasn't about to be picky.

_Just a handful. _He told himself. _Hardly anything. He'll never miss it. _Just as he raised one small handful of the little circles to his mouth he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was magic nearby, crackling with electricity and entirely too familiar feeling. Loki barely had enough time to turn around before the room was consumed in a great flash of white light. When it cleared, there was suddenly a tall, blonde, thunder god standing in the middle of the living room. Terrified, Loki backed up against the counter, the box drapping from his hands and spilling on the floor. He found himself looking into the face of the one person he least wanted to see.

"How do you fare brother?" The huge god asked.

XXXXXXX

If the bang hadn't woken Tony up the sound of screaming and shattering glass certainly did. Heart trying to leap out of his chest, he tossed off the covers and clamped on his metal bracelets.

"Jarvis," he barked hoarsely. "What the hell was that?"

"It seems the elder Mr. Odinson just arrived in the living room. The other Mr. Odinson doesn't appear to be taking it well." If it was possible, the AI's crisp voice held a hint of concern.

"What in the ever-loving-shit-." Tony exclaimed, sprinting into the kitchen in record time. Unfortunately, he was met with exactly the type of scene he had been expecting. Thor, the big oaf, was standing in the living room, a confused look on his face. Judging by the broken china at his feet, his face had just had an unpleasant encounter with the vase that used to sit on the countertop. Tony had a fairly good idea of who threw it. Come to think of it, he'd always sort of hated that vase.

"Be reasonable brother!" Thor commanded in a booming voice. "Cease this violence."

"Don't touch me!" the pale god hissed, hands gripping the counter so hard that his knuckles went white and the cuts that littered them broke open, dripping crimson on the clean metal. "Don't you dare chide ME for violence."

"This is madness." Thor continued, picking a stray piece of china out of his beard. "Come home now, I'm sure father has made some error sending you here."

"I'm not going back there!" Loki snapped, his face completely drained of color.

"Woah hold the phone." Tony said hurriedly, entering the room. "Would you mind telling me what's going on in here?" Turning to him, Thor grinned and rushed over, capturing the genius in a bone-crushing hug.

"Man of Iron!" He boomed. "It is good to see you again my friend."

"Pleasures mine." Tony gasped. "Jeez, Pointbreak, I need to breath you know."

"Forgive me." Thor said apologetically, putting the shorter man down. "I did not mean to harm you."

"I thought you weren't coming for another week." Tony wheezed. The god shrugged.

"The mission was cut short. I decided I would take Loki back to Asgard and have father right this wrong."

"No!" Loki yelled from the kitchen.

"Hang on, did you actually TALK to your dad before you came here?" Thor hesitated.

"Well, no. I assumed that Loki had escaped and-."

"You idiot! Some of your massive guards dropped him off here a few days ago. They said Odin commanded it." Thor looked over at his younger brother in surprise.

"He has not caused me harm?"

"Yeah cause he's so threatening right now." Tony snapped sarcastically. "Have you taken a good look at him lately? I don't think he's gonna be harming people for a while."

"I did not think-." Thor began.

"Of course you did not!" Loki said bitterly. "Leave me be." Thor's face drooped.

" Brother-." Before he could say more the younger god had fled the room, limping badly.

"Listen," Tony said quickly. "I don't know what you heard but Loki really isn't a threat to me. I just want to know why he's in my tower. Why don't you go talk with your dad and figure out what's going on." Thor nodded sadly.

"I did not know." He said softly. "My brother has tricked me before. I merely believed-."

"Thor just go alright?" Tony said, trying to be gentle as possible. "He'll be fine, I promise." Nodding once, the god swung his hammer and, with another brilliant flash of light he disappeared.


	7. Patching Up

** A/N: ****Hey guys! So as some of you may know this story was taken down twice already so it's been a pain to repost. So if you were following this before please review and let me know so I know if you're getting it.**

"Loki!" Tony called out. "Looookkkkiiii." The god had scurried off somewhere after Thor left and he apparently didn't want to be found. Tony would have been inclined to let him mope but he wanted to make sure Thor's unexpected visit hadn't made the god anymore psycho than he already was.

"Jarvis where's our guest hiding out?" Tony called.

"Mr. Odinson seems to have shut himself in the guest bathroom sir." Replied the clipped english voice.

"Oh boy." Tony groaned, heading in that direction. "Please tell me he hasn't done anything stupid." His own question was answered upon entering the guestroom, from behind the closed bedroom door he could hear loud crashing noises, followed by what he was pretty sure was Norse cursing.

"That would be the towel rack." Jarvis added.

"Hey Lokes?" Tony called, rapping hesitantly on the door. Another, loud crash sounded in response.

"Soap dish." Jarvis supplied.

"Hey Loki, quit destroying my bathroom and get out here would you please?"

"No!" The god snapped, his voice slightly muffled by the thick door. "I will not go back. I will not!"

"Chill out, the big, blonde, buffalo has left the building. You're not going anywhere alright?" Loki muttered something in a language Tony couldn't understand. Shortly afterwards a loud bang sounded, followed by soft clinking.

"Mirror." Jarvis said.

"Yeah thanks Jarv." Tony said sarcastically. "Lo, come on, your brother's gone. We need to have a little chat. So come out alright?"

"Fuck you!" The god yelled, startling Tony who had barely heard him speak a word in the last few days. "That idiotic, selfish, arrogant, brute is not my brother! Odin is not my father and Asgard is not my home! I am not going back to that hellhole so they can lock the monster away."

Okay, so Loki was seriously pissed. Not that Tony was particularly surprised. He supposed it was better for the god to be destructive than self-destructive.

"Look, Loki, no one's taking you anywhere. You're staying right here with me okay? I can help you."

"Fuck you!" Loki said again, although his voice was shaking slightly now. "Don't lie to the god of lies you stupid mortal."

"I'm not lying!" Tony yelled, getting frustrated now.

"You are!" Loki insisted, voice breaking. He was clearly holding back tears. "What do you want from me Stark?"

"What are you talking about?" The genius asked, confused.

"I'm your enemy!" Loki exclaimed. "I threw you out a window, attacked your city. Now I'm at you door, defenseless as a child, broken and bleeding and completely helpless. Does it please you Stark? To see me so humiliated? To mock the pathetic monster?"

"Jarvis, unlock the door." Tony called. This was getting out of hand fast. With a click the door swung open to reveal a scene of total carnage. Virtually everything that wasn't bolted down had been smashed to bits, spread all over the floor. In the center of it stood Loki, his thin chest heaving, blood still dripping from his fingertips. Amazingly, Tony was relieved by the image. For the first time since he got there Loki was looking more like a predator than prey. He was angry, violent, poised for a fight and well and truly alive. Behind the mask of pain and outrage Tony caught a glimpse of the old Loki, the real Loki. He was tired and broken but he was still there.

"Well?" Loki said, tensed as though expecting a punch. In a few short strides Tony crossed the room until he was staring right in front of Loki. The god stiffened but he didn't look away. He was scared, Tony could tell, but he met the genius's gaze with his own, holding his head up high. Brown eyes stared into green, never once faltering. Still the proud bastard, even when he knew he couldn't win. Before the trickster could say anything the shorter man leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the pale neck, pulling the god into a tight embrace.

Loki's eyes widened in surprise, stiffening at the unexpected contact. He tried half-heartedly to pull away but Tony only held him tighter, not caring that he was getting blood on his shirt. It was too much for the god. He crumpled to the floor, taking down Tony with him. Tears streamed down his face in great torrents, falling onto the smaller man's back.

"It's gonna be alright." Tony muttered awkwardly. "You're safe here. I've got you."


	8. You're Not Alone

Tony stretched tiredly, stiff from sitting in front of the computer for so long. He glanced over his shoulder at his unexpected guest who was curled under the covers of the genius's bed. Loki was still out cold, the combined physical exertion and emotional turmoil had taken a toll on him. Tony had practically carried him to his bedroom after their awkward hug and the god fell fast asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He'd remained that way for the last few hours, during which time Tony attempted to find anything he could on Ancient Nordic punishments. What he'd found had made his stomach churn and he suspected he didn't know the worst of it. In fact he had no real idea what had happened to the god.

"Jarvis?" he called. "Could you get me a body scan of our guest please?" A small line of blue light flashed over the trickster's sleeping body, making a soft beeping noise as it finished. A few seconds later a small 3D blue hologram of the god appeared next to Tony. With a flick of his wrist he enlarged certain parts, taking note of the different types of wounds while Jarvis suggested things that could have caused them.

"Puncture wounds around the mouth." Tony muttered, zooming in the red dots. Words appeared on the screen quickly. Needle wounds, with wire fragments still embedded. Tony grimaced. He'd guessed the myth about Loki having his mouth sown shut was true then.

"Split lip, bruising around the face." The causes appeared moments later. Blunt force trauma caused by repeated kicking or punching.

"Criss crossed cuts across the back." Repeated flogging.

"Deep cut in lower abdomen." Stab wound from a knife or other sharp object.

"Irritated skin around wrists." Caused by handcuffs.

With each new injury Tony uncovered, another little piece of the puzzle fell into place. He hadn't even known about some of them, like a still painful looking burn on the god's left shoulder.

_Four months. _He thought, his stomach churning. _They did this to him for four months. And Odin let them. _The very thought was enough to make him want to vomit but he forced himself to continue. The injuries just went on and on, getting worse the longer Tony looked. A shoulder that had apparently been dislocated twice, bruises on the back from being kicked, a broken ankle that had healed crookedly, a broken nose, several cracked ribs, dark purple marks around the neck, and too many cuts and bruises to count.

Unsure whether he could take much more Tony was about ready to stop when his eye fell on the tricksters pelvis. It was marked i deep red, indicating some very serious injury. Cautiously, Tony tapped on the image, and the possible cause popped up beside it. The genius felt bile rise in his throat as the final puzzle piece snapped into place. Suddenly Loki's strange behavior became all too understandable.

Ongoing violent penetration. With multiple objects.

"Shit." The billionaire breathed in complete and utter horror.

XXXXX

A wonderful smell woke Loki the next morning, making his empty stomach growl. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he turned over lifting the covers. He was in a different bed now, a much larger one, with an unfamiliar smell clinging to the sheets. He barely had time to wonder about this new development before his eyes fell on a tray of food on the bedside table. There was a plate full of steaming eggs, a piece of toast, jam, and a large glass of milk. Having learned his lesson from last time, the god reached out, brought the tray in front of him and began eating hurriedly, groaning in pleasure as the buttery eggs melted in his mouth. As he was starting in on the toast, the door of the bedroom swung open and in walked Tony Stark, his arms full of things Loki couldn't identify. He froze, the toast halfway to his mouth, suddenly terrified. What if the food hadn't been meant for him? What if Stark had planned on eating it once he returned? He was in serious trouble.

"Good you're up!" Tony said with a cheeriness that Loki thought sounded a little forced. "There's some pills there that will help with the pain." He gestured as best he could at the bedside table. "And I figured you'd want some actual clothes not just my old hand-me-downs. So here you go." He placed a large stack of clothing on the bed beside Loki, careful to give him a good amount of space. Loki looked at him as though he had just grown horns.

"I didn't know what you'd like so I just sort of guessed." Tony continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "You like green right? I remember you sort of favored it for super-villain attire so…" he trailed off, obviously very unsure of how to handle the situation.

"You cooked?" Loki asked at last in a soft, hesitant voice. Tony's face went pink.

"Well yeah, I mean it's mostly just me and Jarvis around here so I usually just order in. I'm sorry if it's not very good, I figured eggs were probably the most advanced thing I was capable of."

"No no!" Loki said quickly. "It's wonderful really."

"Well see how you feel about my cooking once you're used to eating regularly again." Tony said, although he smiled at the compliment. "I bet even Clint's cooking would taste good to you right now and he blew up my microwave trying to make a can of soup. Twice." Loki lowered his eyes at the mention of the archer, hands shaking ever so slightly.

"Well I'll leave you to it then." Tony said quickly. "Just come out whenever you're done. And pick out whatever clothes you like, I can always send anything that doesn't fit back. I'll just be…" he trailed off, gesturing out the door and left, face still an unusual shade of pink. Loki furrowed his brow at the closed door, trying to figure out what was making Stark act so strangely. In the end hunger beat out curiosity and after he had eaten everything and taken the pills he set about getting dressed. He was mildly surprised that all the clothes his host had picked out fit him perfectly.


	9. What Can I Say?

Several minuets later Loki shuffled into the kitchen carrying his empty tray, the plates on it scraped clean. Tony glanced up at him from where he stood hunched over the coffee maker. He wasn't sure if the god was a coffee person but he figured that they could both use the caffeine. It was better than alcohol at least.

"You didn't have to bring those." He said, nodding at the empty dishes. "Dummy would have gotten them eventually."

"Dummy?" Loki asked, placing the tray on the counter.

"My robot." Tony explained. Loki stared at him blankly. "Um, it's made of metal and technology and stuff. Like a little metal man, well robots don't really have genders, so little metal creature. That help out and, you know what forget it. Coffee?" He thrust a steaming mug at the god. Gratefully, Loki raised it to his lips and took a long sip.

"Um," Tony said cautiously. "You might want to put some sugar in-." Before he could finish Loki placed the cup back on the counter his face twisted into truly amusing expression.

"'S very ice." He rasped, trying to smile against the bitter taste. Tony couldn't help but laugh at the image. God of lies his ass.

"No see, you can put milk and sugar in it." He explained, passing the items over to where Loki could reach them. "Most people don't drink it black. Well I do but, I somewhat atypical I guess."

"You _like _this?" Loki asked incredulously, adding a heaping spoonful of sugar to his cup.

"It wakes you up." Tony shrugged. "But you probably have some fancy spell for that back in magic fairyland right?"

"Thor snores like a bear." Loki said flatly. "It could be heard halfway across the castle. Waking up was never a problem for me." He took another sip of his coffee, humming in approval at the improved taste. For a minuet or so there was silence, the only sounds being the clinking of cups against the marble countertop.

"So," Tony said at last. "Wanna tell me why they turned you into ground beef up there?"

_Nice going Tony, you should have been a therapist._

"No." Loki said shortly, stirring his drink with slightly more force then was strictly necessary.

"Come on pretty please?" Tony whined. "You do kind of owe me one for, you know, tossing me out a window and such."

"What exactly did you think happened in Asgard's prisons might I ask?" Loki asked, a definite edge to his voice. Tony shrugged.

"I don't know. I figured they'd throw you in a dungeon for a few centuries then let you go on your merry way." The words sounded stupid even to him. In truth he hadn't really considered what would happen to the trickster once he left, he was mostly just glad to have him gone.

"Well it appears you thought wrong." Loki said stiffly, clearly indicating that that was the end of the discussion.

"But aren't you a prince?" Tony pressed. "Don't they have to go easy on you?" Loki looked at Tony as though he would have liked to throw him through a window again.

"No." he said again.

_Great. _Tony thought. _More one-word answers. Well this was productive._

"Okay." The genius said, rubbing his temples with the pads of his fingers. "Lets try this again. Do all prisoners up there get the shit kicked out of them or are you just special?"

"The guards feel more animosity towards me than the other prisoners." Loki admitted.

"Yeah, I figured." Tony said impatiently. "That was one hell of a tantrum you threw. But still, your dad's the king. Everyone sort of has to do what he says right? Couldn't he just give you a really long timeout or something?"

"_Odin_." Loki said, emphasizing the name. "Would just as soon see me dead. Were it not for my mo- for Frigga I would have been executed immediately."

"Okay." Tony said awkwardly. "So daddy issues huh? We should start a club." Loki didn't answer, staring down at the countertop as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"So what did they do to you exactly?" Tony asked, trying to sound casual. He noticed Loki's hands tighten ever so slightly around the mug, not looking up.

"We had a slumber party and braided each other's hair." He deadpanned, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Come on Stark, if you're truly the genius you claim to be you should be able to figure it out."

"Okay enough with the passive aggressive crap alright?" Tony said. "I'm trying to help you believe it or not. But you've gotta give me something here. I'm not really very good at this whole social…thing."

"Really?" Loki said and yep the famous snark was definitely back.

"So please." Tony continued. "You've got to give me something."

"Why?" Loki asked suddenly, meeting Tony's eyes for the first time. "Why would you help me? I do not-." He hesitated, biting his lip. "I do not deserve it."

Something in Tony softened at the quiet confession. He tried to disguise it by hurriedly collecting the now empty cups and putting them in the sink.

"You didn't deserve what they did to you either." He said, glad that his back was turned so Loki couldn't see his expressio.


End file.
